Sunday, April 2, 2017

Bali 1/2 day trip with Bob the best driver in Bali

So Bob is an entrepreneur. He is a smart guy taking advantage of the tourist market - but in a good way. He wants to promote the local economy of the small guy. So our tour today was to places that most tourists never see. He does take you to the most /biggest things in the north part of the island as well as things that promote the local economy. Our first stop was at the largest Hindu/Buddhist temple in Bali. While we were there there was a cremation ceremony taking place go to my husbands blog to see a video of that. It wasn't until later that Bob realized that that was the kind of thing we wanted to see. He is trying to arrange for us to go to a local ceremony that happens on Wednesday. He is trying to get us Balinese clothing so we will fit in - we will see if it plays off. Pictures of the temple below:

After that Bob wanted to show us a coffee plantation. What he showed us was a very local business which he seems to have some stake in. The coffee process is much different than what we have in the US. The coffee beans are ground into a fine powder. And that is what is put into your cup and mixed with a large teaspoon of sugar.

The bamboo plant next to the coffee tree is a ladder. If you look closely you can see the short stakes out to the side that they use as steps.

Above coffee beans - lower picture - bananas.

All of the above pictures were taken at the coffee processing plant. The weather was OK at first. We stopped in the Coffee plant fields first. Then went to the processing area. The owners wife brought out coffee and snacks for us. It was pissing rain - so when she and her daughter arrived it was in a downpour - and they were on a motor scooter. They did pull out an umbrella from one of the sheds later.
Our next stop was at a traditional home in a local village. The owner was not there. He actually lives in the town below. But tourists can rent this home to stay in. The outhouse has a shower and real
western toilet in it. Not sure that is traditional!

Next we went throughout a small traditional village. The people there are not used to tourists. But as in all of Asia they knew the two finger symbol and loved to have their pictures taken. Kids especially, wanted their pictures taken - I'm not sure why - as there was no way I could give them a picture of themselves I did show some a picture on the camera monitor.

We passed another rice field. The bamboo scare crows were intriguing. And we caught a women out in a field - she laughed and smiled.